The Obama Diary

Nick Anderson

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11:0 The President is interviewed by local TV anchors from around the country

12:20 The President greets the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis

12:30 Jay Carney briefs the press

1:45 The President signs a proclamation to designate Fort Monroe a national monument

2:25 Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a DNC luncheon in New Orleans

3:15 Michelle Obama visits the Royal Castle Child Development Center in New Orleans

3:15 The President and Vice President meet with House Democratic leadership

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Thanks Donna

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The Week

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ABC: Continuing his executive actions campaign, President Obama will sign a proclamation this afternoon to designate Fort Monroe a national monument.

“Fort Monroe has played a part in some of the darkest and some of the most heroic moments in American history. But today isn’t just about preserving a national landmark - it’s about helping to create jobs and grow the local economy. Steps like these won’t replace the bold action we need from Congress to get our economy moving and strengthen middle-class families, but they will make a difference,” Obama said in a written statement.

According to the White House, the preservation of Fort Monroe will help create nearly 3,000 jobs in Virginia …. Fort Monroe is integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military. It was the place where Dutch traders first brought enslaved Africans in 1619 and during the Civil War the fort became a place for escaped slaves to find refuge. In 1861, the fort was the site of Gen. Benjamin Butler’s “Contraband Decision,” which provided a pathway to freedom for thousands of slaves.

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Think Progress: Mitt Romney, his son Tagg, and Romney’s chief fundraiser, Spencer Zwick, have extensive financial and political ties to three men who allegedly participated in an $8.5 billion Ponzi scheme. A few months after the Ponzi scheme collapsed, a firm financed by Mitt Romney and run by his son and chief fundraiser partnered with the three men and created a new “wealth management business” as a subsidiary.

Full post here

Thanks Desertflower

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McClatchyDC - Thanks amk

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Worth seeing again from last night:

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Morning everyone ;-)